2023 Cadillac CT4 Review – The Cure for the Common Bimmer?

Last week I wrote about a BMW 3-Series that reminded me of Bimmers of the past, at least in terms of being fun to drive. I also pointed out that it was a relative bargain.

The 2023 Cadillac CT4 heard that and said “hold my beer.”

To be clear, this Caddy isn’t exactly as dynamically sound as the Bimmer. If I were about to spend the morning blasting a back road, I’d pick the BMW every time. But the Cadillac handles well enough to make me at least pause and think about it.

It doesn’t feel quite as light on its feet as the BMW, in part because all-wheel drive adds weight (this car is about 200 pounds more than the 3-Series I tested), but the CT4 is nonetheless a joy to put through its paces.

The 2.7-liter turbocharged four under the hood of my tester (310 horsepower, 350 lb-ft of torque with premium fuel) certainly helps. This car has enough grunt to keep up in traffic.

And it has the handling dialed in well enough that you’ll have fun. Again, other sport-luxury sedans are a bit better, but this Caddy is no slouch. It’s a bit of a sleeper choice, to be sure, but it’s good enough when the road turns curvy that you’ll be in a good mood when you park.

There’s not a huge ride trade-off, either. Yes, this car is on the stiff side, especially on broken pavement, but it’s tolerable.

On the negative side of the ledger, the steering is a bit too artificial in feel. At least the 10-speed automatic is seen and not felt.

Where the CT4 falls a bit short has more to do with creature comfort than driving dynamics. The interior materials below the beltline feel too chintzy for a car that stickers for over $50K, and the cabin just doesn’t feel special enough to earn the Cadillac badge. Also, as with the 3-Series, I found the CT4’s interior quarters to be a little cramped, especially in the rear.

I continue to be confounded by Cadillac's choice to shoehorn an infotainment screen onto the top of the center stack.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention SuperCruise – though my experience with it was limited compared to another test later. The semi-autonomous, hands-free system generally worked without issue, though a poorly-painted exit ramp off Chicago’s famed Lake Shore Drive confused it and required me to take back over. The system is easy to activate and use, though I can never fully relax using these systems – I am always ready to take over.

SuperCruise adds a huge chunk to the MSRP -- $7,700 for the package, which also includes navigation, Bose audio, a climate package, and a technology package. Oh, and it requires a subscription. All-wheel drive adds another $2,000 and the 2.7 turbo costs $2,500. Take away SuperCruise and all-wheel drive, and the CT4 could be a bargain competitor to the BMW. Instead, this car cost $2K more.

Comparisons to BMW aside, the base price of $38,995* gets you 18-inch wheels, performance suspension, satellite radio, remote start, dual-zone climate control, LED headlamps and taillamps, keyless entry and starting, leather seats, wireless cell phone charging, and adaptive cruise control.

*The pricing here is confusing. My test car’s Monroney had a base of $38,995, but the online configurator lists a Premium Luxury – my tester’s trim – at $47,790 before destination. That’s with AWD and the 2.7-liter engine, which were listed as options on the Monroney.

Safety aids include forward-collision alert, front-pedestrian braking, front and rear park assist, teen driver software, enhanced automatic emergency braking, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, following-distance indicator, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Fuel economy is listed as 21/29/24. A respectable highway number, at least.

I like the CT4 a lot as a sleeper alternative to the BMWs and Audis of the world, though it can’t win on value unless you skip SuperCruise and all-wheel drive. The BMW is a better car for performance driving, but the Cadillac is right there in the conversation.

Moving away from comparisons and evaluating the CT4 in a vacuum, you find that if you can overlook some flaws in terms of interior-material quality and lack of space, you’ll find that it’s plenty engaging to drive. It’s a quality entrant in the compact luxury/sport sedan space. It won’t sway you away from the BWM showroom – at least, not equipped as my test car was – but it will, on its own merits, be a satisfying sedan.

To answer the question posed by the headline, this car is not the cure for the common BMW. And that is OK – it doesn’t have to be. It just has to be a very good Cadillac.

Which it mostly is. A nicer interior would be appreciated, but the car’s performance lets us forgive those sins.

The CT4 is in the conversation, and that might just be enough.

[Images © 2023 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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